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5 Tips for Selling Pre-Loved Clothing Online

January 28, 2016

Being the typical type-A, organisation-obsessed personality that I am, I’ve always enjoyed a closet clean-out. But up until recently I avoided re-sale and auction websites, believing the process of selling pre loved clothing online was far too time consuming.

It wasn’t until I joined Depop last year that I slowly came around to the idea. I still donate a lot of items to my local charity shops, but re-selling a small edit of clothing and accessories allows me to make one or two new purchases each season. And here are my top tips for selling pre loved clothing online…

1. Share Quality Images and Helpful Descriptions:

Image quality can make or break a sale, so only upload pictures that you would find appealing as a shopper. I shoot most of my items against a white background in natural light, and edit photos on Snapseed if they need brightening. Helpful product descriptions are also vital, so as well as listing the clothing/shoe size also note the material, washing instructions, measurements and details of any scratches or marks that may appear on the design.

2. Set Fair Prices:

Think realistically about how much you’re charging for your pre-loved wares. People visit eBay and Depop because they love a bargain, so setting your prices too high will drive shoppers away. If you get stuck, it’s a good idea to see how much similar designs are selling for on your chosen re-sale platform and use that as a guide.

3. Upload On Popular Shopping Days:

Through trial and error I have noticed that Saturdays are a great time for listing items on Depop, especially in the mornings. And, according to eBay, “the majority of bidding activity takes place within the final hours of the auction.” So aim to close your eBay auctions at times when people are likely to be online – between 6-8pm on weekday evenings, or 4-6pm on Sunday afternoons.

4. Get Organised:

No one likes making repeated trips to the post office, so designate one or two days a week to the task and update your seller bio to read “Posting on Tuesdays and Fridays” etc so your customers know what to expect. It’s also a good idea to buy a selection of padded envelopes, lightweight mailing bags and packaging tape beforehand to speed up the process.

5. Consider Other Options:

If you don’t have time for Depop or eBay there are other routes you can take. Vestiaire Collective offer a Concierge Service (currently exclusive to Greater London), where your unwanted items are collected from your door, photographed and listed online by a member of their team, and posted from their headquarters.

Designer re-sale stores are also a great option (they usually take a 40-50% cut of any sales), or you could group together with a bunch of your girlfriends and host a stylish jumble sale in your local town.

Do you also use Depop and eBay when clearing out your closet? What are your top tips for selling pre loved clothing online?

HAVE YOUR SAY

I absolutely hate going to the post office and found trying to sell some things on eBay a real chore!! I’ve thought about Depop too, but then wondered whether it would be worth the effort…I think it’s a great idea to designate only 1-2 days a week for posting – maybe I’ll try that next time! xxx